1999-2009 Kia Carnival Used Car Review

Kia Carnival is a South Korean people mover selling for a very modest price. Since going on sale in Australia in September 1999 it has been a success and has often hit the number one spot in its category.

Despite the low price, even the entry-level Kia Carnival models usually have features like dual climate-control air conditioning, central locking, a decent audio system, adjustable roof racks and front power windows.

While the Carnival has obviously been built down to a price, Kia is an expert at cost trimming. Quality of finish is generally fine in the body, though interior appointments can let it down in older variants. The later the Kia Carnival you buy the better finished it’s likely to be because the company has worked hard on improving quality.

The big Carnival has good passenger legroom for seven adults, though four adults and three children is a more realistic load. It has a decent luggage compartment, though space in the back is rather limited if the vehicle is set up with child seats.

A major revamp of the Carnival late in 2001 saw the seating arrangement modified, and the rear hatch widened to give improved access to the luggage area. At the same time the frontal styling became more conventional and less ‘Korean’.

A virtually all-new model called the Kia Grand Carnival arrived in November 2006. Originally sold only in long-wheelbase format it was marketed alongside the existing model. That changed in February 2007 when the standard-wheelbase Grand arrived.

There's lots of space inside the LWB Grand Carnival, with seating for eight adults, two in front bucket seats; three in the second row, each in their own bucket seat; and a further three in a bench seat at the rear. All seats have good legroom and are of decent width, but passengers in the rearmost seats may find themselves sitting with their knees up as the floor is rather high.

Carnival has the advantage of being powered by a six-cylinder engine in a market segment where four-cylinder units are far more common. The original models had a V6 of 2.5-litre capacity. The engine is smooth and refined but doesn't have a huge amount of power as it's relatively small for a vehicle of this size. If you are going to be carrying a load of people and live in a hilly area it might be worth trying the performance of the engine for yourself. Load up all those junior road testers into the back, add a bit of luggage and find a steep hill on your test route. The engine size went up to 2.7 litres in August 2006 and this powerplant is the one to aim for if your budget is up to it.

The Kia Grand Carnival, sold from January 2006, has a 3.8-litre V8. It obviously gives a fair bit more performance than the smaller sixes, even though the vehicle is larger and heavier.

Four-speed automatic transmissions are by far the most common in the Kia Carnival, but there's also a five-speed manual on offer. The latter will let you squeeze a bit more out of the engine, but isn't all that popular on the used-car market. The Grand Carnival is only fitted with a five-speed automatic transmission, a tiptronic-type system is used on the topline models.

Interior comfort is generally good on good to moderate roads, but can deteriorate if the road surface is bumpy. A fair bit of tyre noise gets into the cabin on some surfaces, particularly concrete motorways. The Grand Carnival is much better than the first series vehicles in this respect. But these are low cost vehicles so don’t expect miracles in the NVH department.

Handling is on the ordinary side. Carnival likes to understeer if you go at anything more than a modest pace, can wander about a bit if the road surface is bad and/or there's a side wind. And there's not a lot of feedback through the steering. The Grand is noticeably better than the original, but is still nothing special.

The turning circle is relatively large, not a problem for some owners, a real pain for others. Include a shopping centre car park as part of your road test route.

Kia has a good number of dealers in Australia though, naturally, they tend to be concentrated in the major population centres. We have heard of no real complaints about parts availability and spare parts prices are generally reasonable.

Carnival isn't too difficult to work on, with most of its major mechanical components being relatively easy to reach. We recommend that only those who know what they are doing should work on the vehicle, particularly in areas affecting safety.

Insurance is generally towards the bottom end of the scale, as befits a vehicle that's not going to be driven hard and fast. There seems to be a larger than average differential between in premium charges so you may find it worthwhile to shop around. When doing so it always makes a lot of sense to make sure you are doing an exact comparison in what's covered and what's not before making your final decision.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Quite a few 2.7-litre engines suffered from cylinder head gasket failures. Look for emulsified oil in the cooling water and watch for a high temperature on the coolant gauge. Kia repaired most of the defective engines under warranty, even if vehicles were technically beyond its warranty period. Check for yourself through a Kia dealer or the company's head office to be on the safe side.

Look over the interior for signs of harsh treatment: sometimes caused by bored little darlings. Don’t forget the load area. We have seen some Kia Carnivals being used as taxis and shuttle buses, even as a courier vehicle. Beware big mileage vehicles.

An excess of brake dust on the inside of the wheels can indicate hard driving, something that’s unusual in a vehicle in this class, and probably a good reason for passing up a Carnival and finding another one instead.

Look at the condition of the front wheels and tyres, damage is often an indication of their being thumped against kerbs by careless drivers.

Make sure the automatic transmission goes into Drive without too much delay and changes gears promptly and cleanly. If it doesn’t, get a professional’s opinion.

Watch for body damage and/or previous repairs. Mismatched paint and rippled panels are reasonably easy to spot. If possible do this inspection in strong light and view the panels along their length to get the best angle on any imperfections.

1999-2009 Kia Carnival Used Car Review

Kia Carnival 1999-2009